The Battousai's Loose
by Misato'sPenPen
Summary: When Kenshin accidently kills a man, the Battousai comes out, putting everyone in danger. Eventual Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

Disclamier: Yeah, I don't own any of it.

Title's inspired by Meatloaf's "The Moster's Loose."

I watch the anime and read the manga, so I have mixed the "that I do" with "this one." I don't know the Japanese very well, but I don't think it's that confusing. The only "I" in the story that is normal for Kenshin is "that I do."

Please review so I know if I should finish it.

Enough of business!

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His eyes blazed amber through narrow slits. The Battosai swelled within him. Blood dripped down the length of his sakabato and onto his hands. Though eleven years ago he would not have smiled, he did now. His first kill in eleven years--he was going to enjoy it.

Gohya, the strongest former samurai for the yakuza, slipped backward off of the blade. He was dead before he hit the ground. None of Megumi-kitsune's little tricks would help him; Gohya was dead. And the Battosai was back.

The first man the Battosai had killed lay behind him. "You never would have been able to kill Gohya without me," the Battosai said to himself.

That man's death had been an accident; he had missed his footing while fighting the rurouni and Kenshin's blade had missed its mark. With nothing to stop his swinging momentum, Kenshin spun completely around while the man regained his balance, stood, and caught the tip of the sakabato in the neck.

At the sight of the blood and the body falling, Kenshin froze up, his arms begun shaking, and he fell to his knees, holding his head in pain. _I killed him, I killed him, I killed him,_ ran through his brain again and again while Gohya sauntered closer.

"The great, _peaceful_, rurouni who doesn't kill. Not so skilled as you thought, eh? What's the matter? First time you've seen blood? Some Hitokiri! And they say you're the one they called the Battosai, the only man the Shinsengumi saw as a threat." Gohya spat on Kenshin's sleeve. "You haven't seen the last of the blood." He raised his blade to cut off Kenshin's head.

When the redhead man looked up, it was with amber eyes. "You're right." The Battosai stood, knocked the blade away, but the skilled samurai kept it under control. But the Battosai was fast; with seven quick twangs of metal, the Battosai's blade was poking out of the larger man's back.

The Battosai brought the blade to his lips and pressed the tip of his tongue to the flat plain of the sword and took a long lick of the blade. As dirty as the blood of a member of the Yakuza was, the taste invigorated him. The thrill was back, the bloodlust was back. But the remorse was gone, the heart of the young swordsman who had joined the Ishin Shishi was gone.

The Battosai stretched and cracked his neck as if he'd been crouching in a small box for a long time. He was out now; the killer who grew with every fight, every drop of blood. Suppressing him just made him stronger. Without the pressure of having one of his friends present, the Battosai was able to break free from his confines.

The ribbon holding his hair in its ponytail had worked itself lose, mostly due to his haste to tie it twelve hours before. The Battosai picked up the ribbon and retied his hair.

Gohya had been hired to revenge the yakuza on Kenshin and Sanosuke for their past interferences. Some of the money came from what was left of Kanryu's wealth, who, in prison, desired revenge. Though both Kenshin and Sanosuke lived, relatively unharmed, they had won. The peaceful Kenshin would never be the same.

----------

"Kenshin!" Sanosuke called as he ran in the direction of his friend. Sano was wounded, but not badly. He had stayed behind to fighter some of the lesser thugs while Kenshin ran ahead.

Hearing Sano's voice startled the Battosai and his eyes lost their golden gleam and faded to lavender again. Kenshin fell to him knees and grabbed his head. Why did it hurt so bad?

The taste of blood was still on his tongue. And he realized it wasn't his own blood. Kenshin forced open an eye and saw Gohya's body a sword's length away from him and his bloody sakabato next to him. Then another body lying nearby.

Though thought of as non-lethal, the sakabato was still a sword, the edge on the concave side rather than the convex. It still had a point and it still had an edge. It could still run a man through, though not as smoothly as a normal katana.

Kenshin panicked. What had he done? He'd broken his vow never to kill again. _No!_ And Sano was running toward him. They could not see one another, but Kenshin heard him approach. Kenshin grabbed the bodies and dragged them to the nearby building then shoved the bodies under the raised floor, but not before whipping the sakabato clean on one of the men's shirts. Sano must never know.

Sano came to the corner of the building and found Kenshin standing alone. There was blood on the ground and a trail leading toward one of the buildings.

"What happened?"

"This one wounded him and he ran off, that he did. He pleaded for this one to let him go. This one could not stop him."

Sano looked at his friend skeptically. "They'll be back then."

"This one does not think so. It was for the best. That one will not trouble us again. We should return to the dojo, that we should." Kenshin smiled and walked toward Sano and past him in the direction of the Kamiya Dojo. Sano turned to follow, but hesitated. Kenshin's hair was tied in the high ponytail style of a Hitokiri.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer Yeah, still don't own it.

Same as before, I purposely mixed the manga and anime translations of stuff since I don't know the Japanese enough to write Kenshin's particular way of speaking in Japanese.

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It took Sano several minutes to get over the shock of Kenshin's hair tied in a style he had never seen.

"Hey Kenshin, you're hair is a bit off. Let me retie it for you."

Kenshin stopped, turned, and looked up at the taller man with his large violet eyes. "Oro?" But he turned and let Sano untie his hair and retie it in its usual fashion.

"Thank you, Sano, it must have come loose during the fight, that it must."

Kenshin seemed to be acting normally, but something was defiantly wrong. Sano just didn't know what. But it seemed to Sano that Kenshin didn't realize his hair was any different than before they separated. How could that be?

-----

Kenshin felt bone-weary when they returned to the Kamiya Dojo. But he also felt oddly...excited. Kaoru and Yahiko were awake and sitting on the porch when the pair returned. They both rushed the gate.

"Kenshin," Kaoru called tenderly. "I was so worried."

"This one is alright, Kaoru-dono, that I am."

"Miss Megumi is on her way."

"I went to get her, but she couldn't leave her patients," Yahiko explained. "She said she'd come as soon as she could."

"This one had only a few minor cuts," Kenshin said smiling. "Sano needs the most help," he added good-naturedly. Kenshin turned to his friend, but Sano was not reacting to the jive as Kenshin expected. Sano was staring at him with concern.

"Is something wrong Sano?"

"What? No sorry, I just kind of spaced out for a second. It has been a long day."

"That it has," Kenshin agreed with a trace of grief.

Megumi reached the gate at that point.

"Sir Ken, I got here as soon as I could."

"That's alright. Sano is the one who needs your help, that he is."

"Let me take care of your wounds then," Kaoru said.

"Alright," Kenshin said.

Sano thought Kenshin was acting overly cheerful. But his thoughts were halted by Megumi. "Come inside you idiot so I can tend those wounds."

"Right, Megumi." He followed her into the dojo. "Hey can you make it fast?" _I don't want to leave Kenshin and the little missy alone together for long._

-----

"Yuuck!" Kaoru said as she helped Kenshin take off his kimono. Kenshin turned to look at the object of her disgust; a drop of saliva. _When did that happen?_ He felt a rush of panic. And a violent urge to… It was gone.

"Oh, that's nothing Kaoru-dono. This one will do the laundry in the morning. It was an intense fight, that it was."

Kaoru tossed the soiled kimono aside and tended to his injuries; just a few small cuts.

-----

As he was being patched up, Sano was relieved to see Karou exit Kenshin's room without any worry on her face. She wasn't the type to be able to hide her feelings. Sano relaxed. Maybe there was nothing wrong with Kenshin and he was just imagining things. This was one of the first times Kenshin had fought outside of his sight for a while. The swordsman probably retied his hair like that to keep it out of his way. _But he didn't when he fought Shishio._

"Are you alright, Sanosuke?" Kaoru asked.

"I'm fine missy, nothing I can't handle."

Megumi pressed a sanitized finger into one of the cuts causing him to hiss. "You and Kenshin better stop all this fighting. Neither one of you can continue to fight like this." Her voice had no playfulness in it. In fact, it was strained. Perhaps there was something wrong…with Sano.

"I am okay, right Megumi?"

"Nothing a few bandages can't cure. But I can't cure stupidity." It was her normal refrain when dealing with the ex-fighter-for-hire.

"Glad to here it."

"Humph."

"Well, if you're alright, I'm going to bed. Goodnight." Kaoru waved to them carelessly as she started for her room.

"Goodnight Missy."

"Goodnight Kaoru-chan."

Yahiko stood nearby. "You'll have to tell me all about it tomorrow." He yawned.

"Yeah right, punk."

Yahiko growled at him, but when off to his own room.

Once Megumi was sure they were alone, she asked, "What's really wrong Sanosuke?"

"What makes you think there's anything wrong?"

"All your muscles were tense, but when you saw Kaoru come out of Kenshin's room, you relaxed. What's wrong?"

"Just afraid Kenshin was lying about how minor his injuries were I suppose."

She poked him with a knuckle. "Lair."

"It's really nothing Megumi. It's been a long day."

-----

Kenshin did not sleep on his futon that night. He sat against the wall with his sword in his hand. As he had when he was the Battosai. To be fair he slept that way whenever in the presence of others like that night Sanosuke threw a party at the dojo before running off with Katsu. But alone in his own room Kenshin never slept like this.

Morning came too soon for everyone. Except Sanosuke. He wanted to be sure everything was really okay; he needed to see Kenshin again and convince himself he was the same.

Kenshin joined them for breakfast a little grim mouthed, but he covered that up quickly. And he was carrying his sword in his hand. Everyone noticed that. Kenshin often left his sakabato in his room unless he was leaving the dojo. Kaoru and Yahiko put it down to concern that a few last yakuza might show up and said nothing. Sano, who had Kenshin's assurance that it was all taken care of, wondered at it silently.

Kenhsin seemed to be otherwise normal: he helped clean up after the meal and went out to do the laundry. Sano sat on the porch and watched Kenshin. Nothing out of the ordinary. Sano had a crush on the elfin swordsman and liked to watch him at his chores. Kenshin often hid his arms and hands in his kimono so this was the only time Sano really got a good look at the pale slender arms. He thought how remarkable it was that something normally out of sight could be come erotic when it was unveiled.

His contemplation was cut short by the arrival of the last man he expected to see.

"Hey moron, what's with that stupid expression?"

"Saito!"

Kenshin's head snapped up. "Saito?" He recovered quickly from his shock. "So you did survive."

Sano turned to the redhead. "You knew he survived?!"

"If any man could survive the destruction of Shishio's lair, it would be Saito Hajima, that it would." Kenshin gave a confident smile, but his heart felt like a icy stone weighing him down.

"Fujeta, if you don't mind. I've come about the fight you had last night with the members of the local yakuza."

Kenshin's heart sank deeper. He had never known fear like this except when Jin-e kidnapped Kaoru a year ago and when Tomoe was taken as bait. But anger had accompanied both those incidents. There was only dread now.

"Yeah a few got away, but we left you most of them."

"I'm not interested the trash you dealt with, you moron. Two of the men were found dead."

"Dead?!"

Kenshin didn't react immediately; he knew what Saito would say. He widened his eyes in surprise late, but Saito's eyes were focused on Sano. Neither of them noticed Kenshin hesitation.

"I didn't do it and you know Kenshin couldn't have."

"I know that you moron. But you two were the last ones in the vicinity. They were killed with a sword, so I know you didn't do it, moron. And as much as I'd like to think you may one day return to being the Battosai I once knew, I know scum like that would never be able to bring him out. What I want to know is if you were aware of anyone else in the area." Kenshin was rubbing his temple.

"I don't remember seeing anyone."

"This one was a little dazed by a hit to the head. I sensed no one, but that doesn't mean no one was there."

"Humph. Helpful as always." But then Saito saw something that made him hesitate. The blood on the kimono lying on the ground waiting to be washed. Saito had noticed Kenshin was wearing his blue kimono and thought that odd. "Were you hurt badly Battosai?"

Kenshin felt a pain in his head and put a hand to his forehead to push it away. "Not really, just a few cuts."

"And a blow to the head?"

"Just enough to daze me and leave me with a slight headache."

"You should have that looked at."

"It's nothing."

Kenshin's sleeves were still tied high on his arms. Saito's eyes scanned the pale flesh making Kenshin a little uncomfortable and Sano a little jealous.

"Humph. I might need a fuller statement later."

Saito left leaving Kenshin with a hole in his gut. _Saito suspects something._ That thought didn't feel like his own.

Kenshin returned to the laundry.

"Kenshin," Kaoru said as she came outside with Yahiko, "you aren't done with the laundry yet?"

"No, I'm not, but I'll have it done soon, that I will."

Kaoru nodded. "Yahiko and I are gong out to train. We'll see you both later."

_I'm?_ Sano thought. Kenshin never referred to himself like that. Expect when the Battosai came out. But the others did not notice the slip.

Sano waited until Kaoru and Yahiko were well down the street before sitting back down near his friend.

"Kenshin, is something wrong? You aren't…sounding like yourself."

"What do you mean?" Kenshin said still smiling. Sano was somehow reminded of that kid, Sojro.

"You referred to yourself as 'I,' you never do that."

"I'm just tried, that I am."

"There you go again." Kenshin's smile grew tighter. "And last night, you had your hair up, like a Hitokiri."

Kenshin's smile was strained now. "You're making to much of this. That you are," Kenshin added belatedly.

"You're reminding more and more of the Battosai."

When Kenshin opened his eyes again, they were the same golden color as Saito's. Sano involuntarily pushed himself back.

"You noticed a lot Sagara Sanosuke." The voice was husky and slow, like the drawl of a killer. The Battosai rose to his feet, pulling at the tie that held his sleeves up. It came away with one pull. "What is it you're insinuating?" The Battosai stalking toward him slowly.

Sano couldn't help feeling aroused at the sight and sound of the assassin approaching him. That husky voice was one he imagined in the throes of passion and the slow way he moved toward him seemed seductive.

The Hitokiri noticed Sano's excitement through his loose pants. "You seemed to like interrogations, huh Sagara? Why don't you confess your suspicions?"

Sano tried to crawl backwards, but ran into the wall.

In a flash Sano found the sharp edge of the sakabato near his throat. "Well?"

"You're not Kenshin."

"You are sharp, aren't you Sagara. Correct, I'm not that pathetic rurouni. Little sweet Kenshin made a mistake last night which nearly cost us our lives," the Battosai growled. "If I hadn't appeared, we be dead with our head lopped off. What would you think of your beloved rurouni then?"

Battosai used the tip of his blade to slip Sano's jacket over one shoulder, then the next. "I know you've been staring at him. I could always sense your desire. At times your lust was so strong it was a wonder even that weak little rurouni never sensed it. I'm sensing it now. Hell I can see it and smell it. You want your dear sweet little rurouni?"

Battosai put his sword down and withered a little like a woman. He batted his eyes seductively and pouted. Sano was too frightened to move despite his growing arousal.

"Oh, a big strong man like yourself frightened of a little swordsman like me?" Battosai crawled forward and kissed Sano gently. Sano started to lose himself in the kiss, but then Battosai bit his lip, drawing blood. Sano yelped and pulled back, hitting his head against the wall. Battosai started too laugh an evil feminine laugh, but it grew to male guffaw.

Sano realized the blade was back, aimed between two of his ribs. "I think you know too much." Battosai was about to push in the blade when something caught his attention. He looked away to the side and Sano took that opportunity to kick Battosai away.

Battosai didn't bother to retaliate on Sano. Saito was on him in an instant. Sano's kick, as hard and unexpected as it was, threw Battosai off just enough to allow Saito to grab the back of his neck with one hand and his wrist in the other. His vicious grip caused Battosai to drop his sword and the pressure of Saito's thumb pressed against his jugular an carotid artery caused the Battosai to feel lightheaded. Nevertheless, he redoubled his efforts to get free. Then the assassin blacked out. Saito waited to be sure it wasn't an act before he let go and gently laid the redhead down.

"Well, you handled that well, you moron."


	3. Chapter 3

One review, good enough for me (thank you!). Here's chapter three. The Yaoi lemon is coming, but not yet.

Still don't own it.

Same as before, I purposely mixed the manga and anime translations of stuff since I don't know the Japanese enough to write Kenshin's particular way of speaking in Japanese.

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Sano wrote a note for Kaoru to explain their absence and joined Saito in a carriage, Kenshin already slumped in the corner across from Saito.

"Kenshin killed those two men, didn't he?" Sano asked as the carriage started moving.

"No. Himura Kenshin would never break his vow and kill. It was the Battosai who killed them."

"That doesn't make sense. What's happening to him?"

"You said it yourself, that was not Kenshin who tried to seduce you. That man was an assassin, seeking an opening to get close enough to deliver a fatal blow with the least amount of effort or sound. Though I've never known him to bait someone like that." _Although with that body, his eternally youthful look, long red hair, and large violet eyes, half the Shinsengumi would have been taken in and killed._

"How did you know? Why did you come back?"

"There was significant amounts of blood on the Battosai's sleeves, but no wounds on his arms. Himura Kenshin leaves bruises and broken bones, but rarely blood. I decided to stick around and see how he behaved."

"What are you going to do? Arrest him for the murder?"

"Arrest the Battosai? Don't be dense fool. The Battosai will not be held if he doesn't want to be held. If I arrest Himura Kenshin, the Battosai will react. I must learn more about this. If Humura Kenshin has become this unstable, I might have to kill him. For his own good and your friends."

-----

Kenshin woke with a horrendous headache.

"—a blow to the head?"

"He said nothing about it last night."

"Just an excuse then."

Kenshin recognized those voices: Saito and Sano. Kenshin moved to bring a hand up to still the pain in his head, but found his wrists tied behind his back. He struggled against them, instinctively tying to free himself.

Sano rushed over and put a hand on his shoulder. Sano was relieved to see lavender eyes, not amber.

"Why am I tied up?" Sano shrank back at his use of 'I.'

"You're tied up to prevent you from hurting anyone else, Battosai," Saito said.

Kenshin winced before turning his face up to look at Saito. His eyes had turned gold. "So you're still alive Saito." It was the deeper voice of the Battosai.

"I see you're still alive as well, Battosai."

Battosai was on his feet within a second. Using his body he knocked Sano back, whirled around Saito and spotted a knife in the next room on the counter. Battosai ran in, pulled the knife to the edge of the counter with his upper teeth, clinched it between his teeth, and brought the edge within a centimeter of Saito's jugular. Saito caught the smaller man with a kick to the diagram. Battosai dropped the knife and stumbled back, fighting to breathe, but he wouldn't let his rival go that easily.

Battosai attacked again, but dropped to take Saito's legs from under them. Battosai would have used his teeth to rip out Saito's throat if he could get into the right position. Saito whirled on the floor and pinned Battosai to the floor.

"I rather speak to the rurouni, but if I can't, I guess I'll have to kill the Battosai."

"Saito!" Sano yelled.

"Sagara!" The Battosai yelled, his attention drawn to Sano. "I'll kill you next and then those two simpering fools at the dojo."

Saito slapped Battosai across the face and the Battosai's face took on an even more pained expression as if some inner struggle were taking place. When the struggle ceased, Kenshin's neck let his head drop to the floor and his body when limp; all traces of fight leaving him.

Saito sensed the change and stood.

Kenshin turned onto his side, letting his long hair fall over his face. He was weeping into the floor. Saito took the knife and cut the restraints.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Sano asked.

That brought out the first audible sob from Kenshin's chest. Saito went into the kitchen to give the younger men some space; he didn't want to see the man he respected as a rival brought down to this level: a sobbing child.

After a few minutes, Kenshin pushed himself up and looked at Saito. "Saito, you must kill me. I can't control myself anymore. I've lost."

"Tell me what happened last night," Saito asked with an unaffective voice.

"It was an accident. The man stumbled and I couldn't stop my sword. When I saw he was dead, I broke down. I'd broken my vow. The other man, Gohya, began taunting me for my weakness. I wanted to let him kill me, but part of me just grew so angry. I killed him. What's worse is that…I enjoyed it. I felt so free and the thrill of taking a man's life. I _had_ forgotten it. It felt good to surrender to my rage. And I killed him.

"I heard Sano's voice and that brought me back. I hid the bodies so Sano's wouldn't see what I had done. None of them could know. I tried to pretend, but…"

"You literally went to pieces over killing a man," Saito sneered.

Kenshin rose to his knees facing Saito and bowed with his head on the floor. "I beg you to kill me. I have no honor left."

"Get your head off my floor. You aren't worth killing as you are now. You are not the Battosai or Himura Kenshin."

"Saito as a fellow samurai—"

"A fellow samurai? Sagara!" Sano's head snapped up from staring at Kenshin's back. "Take a walk."

"Saito, you wo—"

"I won't kill him. Just go."

Sano reluctantly left his friend.

"Do you remember this morning?" Kenshin said nothing. "You remember killing the second man, you must remember this morning." Kenshin nodded without bringing his eyes up to meet Saito's. "Did you ever realize the moron was in love with you?"

That brought Kenshin's head up. "I can't trust what the Battosai saw or said."

"Then take my word, he's in love with you. If the Battosai hasn't tried to kill him, he would have let the Battosai have him."

Kenshin seemed to sag more inward on himself.

"Well? What are your feelings for that moron?"

Under other circumstances, Kenshin would have smiled, but he was too frightened and forlorn to smile.

"What do my feelings matter now? I've tried to kill him."

"Part of you did. I've never seen the like. You were so determined to be another person, that you really became another person."

"No." Kenshin shook his head. "He's the other person. I was Himura Kenshin before I ever was the Battosai. I cut him out of my heart and thrust him aside."

"And he comes out only when you need him. You needed him to fight Jin-e, you needed him to fight me, and you needed him to save you last night."

"Master said I would never need him again once I learn the final secret of the Hiten Mitsurugi."

"You forced the Battosai out by being weak and by not having as precise control of your blade as you should have had. One thing a swordsman is taught is to bring their sword down on someone's head, halting the blade just before contact." Saito's words morphed into Hiko's in Kenshin's mind.

"I know. There was no time."

"What are your feelings?"

"I do not know anymore."

"You're too afraid to hurt him?"

"I nearly killed him. If you hadn't been there…"

Saito stood and bent down behind Kenshin, tying his hands again. "The only way I kill you is if it's the Battosai. Himura Kenshin does not come under 'The Swift Death to Evil.' But the Battosai does. Let him come out Himura. Bring him out."

Kenshin looked away but Saito could not sense a change. "I'll force him out then."

Saito pushed Kenshin's shoulders to the ground, trapping his tied hands painfully under their combined weight. Kenshin had no idea what Saito was doing, how he intended to bring the Battosai out. Then Saito's lips met his, his tongue demanding entry. Kenshin resisted. He felt one of Saito's hands travel down to his pants and slid inside, his fingers rubbing his bare hip. Kenshin panicked.

Saito found a pair of keens in his gut and looked to see the golden-eyed assassin sitting up yanking painfully at the rope around his wrists.

"Well, you wanted me, here I am."

Saito smirked. "We never finished our duel."

"It's time we changed that, Saito."

"One of us will certainly die. Maybe we should consider things before either of us do anything…permanent."

Battosai's eyes narrowed, but a smirk crept across his lips, matching Saito's.

"You were jealous of Sagara, weren't you, when you saw me seduce him? You want me?"

"Then afterward we can have our duel."

Battosai bowed. "I accept your proposal."

-----

Of all the men in the world, Saito was the only who could have handled the Battosai, particularly in such an intimate setting. So fast and violent was the act that it was over within ten minutes. Both intended to make good on their arrangement to duel that day, but Saito sensed that as Battosai came down from his second orgasm, he slipped back into Kenshin's subconscious.

Kenshin's arms were still wrapped around Saito's neck but otherwise his body went limp.

"Just like old times, Battosai."

Kenshin did not look up, but nor did he loosen his arms from Saito's neck. "I hated myself for it back then too," Kenshin whispered. "Will you let me go now? I want to go home."

"Back to the dojo? You know what the Battosai said."

"Sano knows, he can help me."

"That moron stands no chance against you, either of you."

"As long as he's not angered or feels the need to protect me, I'll be alright."

"With that Kamiya girl and the brat?"

"Please Saito, I just want to go home."

"Very well."

Kenshin's arms feel from Saito's shoulders. He didn't look up while he dressed.

-----

Sano stayed close, but he wasn't sure he wanted to hear what they were talking about or doing. Kenshin saw him standing with his back against a tree within sight of Saito's door. Kenshin would not look up at him.

"This one wants to go home, that I do." Kenshin sounded tried.

"Are you alright?"

Kenshin chuckled grimly and grabbed his head, but when Kenshin spoke again it was still Kenshin. "This one wants to send a message to Aoshi. He might be able to help."

"Aoshi does now a thing or two about the dark side."

-----

After the message was sent, Kenshin and Sano sat on the bank of the river. Sano's note indicated they were going to be late so they waited to go back to the dojo. Sano didn't think Kenshin should be exposed to Kaoru's nagging in his condition.

"Sano," Kenshin said weakly.

"Hmm."

"Forgive me for this morning."

"Hey, it's okay. It wasn't you."

"Still I lost control. Forgive me."

Sano knew telling him to forget about it wouldn't help. "I do."

"Thank you. But I have a request. Will you stay with this one tonight? I don't know what might happen when this one is asleep."

Sano noted Kenshin was speaking more like his own self again, but the occasional personal pronoun was still slipping through.

"Yeah, I'll stay with you."

"Thank you, Sano."

-----

Kenshin and Sano entered the gate as quietly as they could. They made it to Kenshin's room without meeting either of the dojo's other occupants. Sano unfolded Kenshin's bedding and gently laid him down. Kenshin fell asleep quickly. Sano didn't know what Saito had done, but whatever it was it tired Kenshin out. _Perhaps they fought_.

Sano suddenly thought it was a bad idea not to check on Saito before they left. But there was no blood on Kenshin and he didn't even have his sakabato with him.

_The sakabato!_ Sano remembered they left without the sword. What did the little missy think when she saw Kenshin gone and his sword lying on the porch?

When Kenshin left the sword in his room it was always lying on top of his bedding, but it wasn't there. Sano was resolved not to leave Kenshin's side, so he decided to wait until morning to find out what became of the sword and what would be the results of Sano's lapse.

-----

Sano could not stay awake. He awoke before dawn and found Kenshin lying as he had when he fell asleep. Noting had happened.

He heard footsteps outside the door and the door was eased back carefully. Yahiko's back hair and large eyes peered through.

"Sanosuke?" He pulled the door open further. "Is Kenshin alright?"

"Yeah," Sano lied.

"Kaoru found the sakabato outside. She was really worried."

"Thanks for the warning, kid."

"Why did he leave the sword?"

"I dragged him out; he must have dropped it and decided to leave it."

Yahiko considered this. "Is Kenshin really alright?"

It was the most serious expression he'd ever seen on the young man's face. All his maturity came through in his voice. Sano couldn't lie again. "No, he isn't. Try to keep Kaoru from harassing him about yesterday. Pretend everything's normal."

"There's nothing I can do?"

"I don't think so."

-----

Kenshin awoke at his normal time. Sano sat back and watched the older man as he went through his normal routine. Kenshin pretended Sano wasn't there.

Sano followed Kenshin out to breakfast.

"Sanosokue!" Kaoru yelled. "How dare you drag Kenshin away like that! Especially when he has chores to do!"

"Sorry missy, but I really needed to get out and thought Kenshin could do with a little R&R too."

Calmer and more polite Kaoru turned to Kenshin and gave him his sakabato.

"Kenshin just wouldn't be Kenshin without this." She smiled brightly.

Kenshin accepted the blade and smiled back. Sano could see it was false. Sano winked at the kid. Yahiko nodded.

_Hurry up Shinomori._


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry it's been so long for an update. I've been finishing up a novel so that took all my attention. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!

The story continues.

----------

With Sano deflecting any annoyance which could bring out the Battosai, they survived the entire day without incident. On the following day Aoshi, followed by Misao, arrived. Kaoru thought it a pleasant surprise, as did Misao.

"Lord Aoshi just suddenly said we should come for a visit yesterday," Misao explained. "He even said we should come by train!"

Kenshin bowed his head in thanks to Aoshi who returned the gesture.

"Hey missy, you should take Misao out around Tokyo."

"Want to come Kenshin? Aoshi?"

"No that's alright Kaoru-dono. You and Miss Misao have a good time."

The two girls left.

"Should Yahiko and I leave?"

"Yahiko knows something is wrong, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, but not what."

"Maybe you should take him out for a while."

"Right. Yahiko! Let's go catch us all some dinner."

"Alright." The boy understood, sensing the situation.

-----

"Your message was brief. You need my help because you are having trouble with self control?"

"It's more serious than that." Kenshin recounted the last few days, leaving out much of his visit to Saito's home.

"I see. Though the man died, it was in fact an accident; you did not intentionally kill him."

"Though it would not be from any direct action on this one's part, if harm would come to Kaoru-dono or Yahiko, or even Sano, you, Miss Misao, or any of those at the Aoiya, this one would feel responsible, it would still be breaking my vow."

"You saved me from my darkness; I shall do everything I can to save you from yours."

"Thank you, Aoshi-domo."

-----

Aoshi sat alone on the porch mediating on how to help Kenshin while Kenshin did fresh laundry. Aoshi marveled at how Kenshin could continue his mundane tasks especially with Aoshi staring at him at intervals.

It was easy for Kenshin really, he was just thinking about Sano, his body moving automatically to complete his normal tasks. Sano in love with me? He wondered how he couldn't sense it before. It took the instinctive assassin to sense it. A smile tugged at his lips, but it wasn't strong enough to overcome the frown. It didn't matter now: Sano would never trust him and he wouldn't trust himself ever again. He doubted even Aoshi could help him.

Aoshi was not blind, he'd seen the bite marks on Kenshin's shoulder. Love marks were an understatement, they were vicious teeth marks. Like a mauling.

"Forgive me, Himura-sama." Aoshi stood. "I need time to consider this. I will return in a few hours."

Without another word between them, Aoshi left Kenshin alone.

-----

The Oniwanbanshou had people all over Japan. It took only half an hour for Aoshi find Saito's home. Tokio opened the door.

"I'm looking for lieutenant Fujita."

"Please come in."

Saito materialized behind her. "Shinamori."

"I would like to have a word with you."

"So they called you in. Wise. Tokio, tea."

The two men sat outside and said nothing until Tokio brought their tea and left them.

"I saw the marks on Himura's shoulder." Both men could sense Tokio was out of earshot.

"The Battosai and I have a long history."

"That could have been considered treason. Both of you would have been executed."

"True. But you never saw him back then, did you? Barely a child and at the time, so vulnerable, so beautiful. It was worth the risk."

"And a few days ago?"

"The old…amorous Battosai reemerged. We called a truce in order to…reminisce. So what do you think Okashira? Should I put him out of his misery?"

"I don't think he's irredeemable."

"You haven't seen Battosai, have you?"

"Describe how he came out."

"The first time, I think you know: the Battosai emerged to protect Himura. He retreated at the prospect of being detected. The second time was when that moron Sagara started to push him for information about that night. I forced him into unconscious and he woke up normal. The next time was here. Either hearing me, seeing me, or my calling him 'Battosai' provoked him. A slap brought him back to his senses. The last time, I forced myself on him and that brought him out. Once satisfied for the second time, Himura came back."

Aoshi was clearing considering the obvious pattern. "So which will you choose? Attack him or rape him?"

"Is that jealousy in your voice?"

Saito laughed. "You've never fought the Battosai. Even during sex, he could kill you." A thought occurred to him. "Well maybe not. Your prowess with marital arts slipped my mind. I still wouldn't recommend that method."  
"Wasn't the one I was considering."

"I wish you luck."

-----

Only ninety minutes had passed. Aoshi and Kenshin still had several hours before anyone returned.

"I hate to ask it of you," Aoshi said. "But I'd like to see the Battosai."

For a moment Kenshin feared that Aoshi might want to bring the Battosai out in order to fight him, like Saito. But with Aoshi come to his senses after their fight in Shishio's lair, Kenshin doubted that was his intension.

"I don't know if I can just bring him out."

"It takes a threat?"

"Yes."

"Forgive me." Without any further warning, Aoshi unsheathed his pair of Kodachis and was in the air, coming toward Kenshin. Instinct took over and Kenshin grabbed the sakabato laying next to him. Aoshi was so fast, Kenshin had no time to unsheathe his sword and deflected Aoshi's attack with the scabbard. Kenshin took out the sword, but kept the sheath in hand.

"Kaiten-kenbu." Kenshin panicked.

Aoshi's Kaiten-kenbu was countered. Having his move countered before by Kenshin and knowing the weakness in his own moves, he was able to avoid Kenshin's blade. Gold eyes peered at him from behind the hilt of the sakabato.

"Battosai."

"You wanted me, Here I am."


End file.
